Batting

The Crimson sits just two games out of first in the Red Rolfe Division after grabbing a series split on Tuesday. (Gil Talbot)

PRINCETON, N.J. – Two weeks after its series with Princeton was rained out, the Harvard baseball team split the two meetings with the Tigers at Clarke Field, taking the first game in extra innings, 4-3, before dropping Game 2, 6-2.

Game 1, which picked up Tuesday in the fourth inning tied 1-1, began to turn in Harvard's favor in the top of the sixth. After Sean Poppen got the last two Tigers to fan in the fifth, the Crimson opened things up with two runs in the next frame. Carlton Bailey led off with a resounding double to left center, and was pushed across home after a Kyle Larrow sacrifice bunt and a Mike Martin single to center. Martin proceeded to steal second and third before Ethan Ferreira sent a deep foul ball out to left to send the junior home to make it 3-1.

Princeton tied things up in the bottom of the final inning, though, thanks to a two-run shot from Keller off of T.J. Laurisch. Laurisch got himself out of a jam, however, and stranded a pair of Tigers on the bags to allow the Crimson to escape to extra innings.

In the top of the ninth, Jack Colton led off the inning with a single to left, and eventually came around to represent the go-ahead score on an errant throw from short trying to get Steve Dill to become the second out.

From there, with the Crimson up 4-3, Sam Dodge finished things off getting two batters to fly out and one to go swinging to end things with a "W."

In Game 2, Harvard got off to another rollicking start, scoring two runs quickly in the opening frame. With Larrow and Kregel on the bags after a bout of small ball, Ferreira belted a long double to left field to drive both of his teammates home to go up 2-0 early.

Nick Scahill earned the nod on the mound for the Crimson in the second game and went two innings, striking out two and walking one, allowing one run. In his relief, Coman came on and dominated his three innings, allowing zero runs on one hit while punching out five.

But Princeton took over in the bottom of the eighth. A double, wild pitch, single and another wild pitch quickly allowed Princeton to tie things up at 2-2 and threaten for more. Belski reached on a fielder's choice to second, scoring Baer to give PU the late lead. From there, four more singles and a walk in the inning propelled Princeton to a final 6-2 victory.

The Crimson returns to the diamond this weekend with a crucial four-game slate with Yale starting Saturday.